Today’s doubleheader:
Last night’s game was postponed due to bad weather in the capital, and now Pittsburgh Pirates The Washington Nationals will have a doubleheader today.
The Nationals announced on Twitter last night that “Game 1 will begin as originally scheduled at 1:05 p.m.” “Postponed Game 2 will start at 6:05 PM.”
Chad Cool was scheduled to pitch the series opener at Nationals Park, but instead faced his former team at Nightcap, with Patrick Corbin, who was scheduled to start at 1:05 for the home team, the starter. serve. new opener.
While we wait for the split-entry twin bill to start, here are some remaining notes and quotes from the Nationals’ series victory New York Mets At Citi Field…
Thompson again:
After Mason Thompson pitched for a one-run lead in the bottom of the eighth after the Nationals took an 8-7 lead against the Mets in New York at Citi Field Thursday night, reporters had a few questions. did He had pitched his three scoreless (28 pitches) in the first game of the series two days earlier.
“I wanted Mason in that block,” Martinez said after the 9-8 loss to the Mets, referring to the trio of right-handed Sterling Marte, switch-hitter Francisco Lindor and right-handed striker. Slugger Pete Alonso was scheduled to play for the home team.
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“That was the decision. Tie or go, that was Mason. It just didn’t.”
Marte singled, moved to third on Lindor’s fly ball, and tied the score at 8–8 on Alonso’s RBI double.
3 RBIs by Jeff McNeil gave the Mets a 7-3 lead, and they were back in the lead, 9-8.
“He was trying to get in. He pulled some balls over the plate,” Martinez said when asked what was wrong with Thompson in this out. It was a big event, but like I said, I’ll do it that way again.
“[Hunter] Harvey was down, but Mason was throwing the ball really well.”
Could Thompson’s result mean his right arm was tired after a three-inning run on Tuesday?
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“No,” Martinez said. “His vero was good, everything was good. He was out a little bit forward. He tried to come in a few times but the ball just got away a little bit and if you put that ball in McNeill a little bit, Either hitting a ground ball or hitting a fly ball, he couldn’t get… there.
All K:
Josiah Gray struck out nine of the Mets’ 23 batters in the series opener in New York, and reliever Mason Thompson added four strikeouts (9 BFs) in three scoreless frames. Mackenzie Gore was his second of his three hitters at Citi Field, facing nut relievers after he stole 10 of his 25 hitters. He added his five RBIs to Finnegan (2). [checks math] Recorded a total of 15 in Washington’s shutout victory in Game 2 against its NL East rivals.
Before the series finale in Flushing, N.Y., Nationals skipper Davey Martinez asked what worked in the first two games that brought all the strikeouts out of the Mets team. was given. %K% after the series, which was the fifth lowest K% in the majors).
“For us, it’s about controlling the strike zone,” Martinez explained. blow. Strike One is the key. We worked on it all spring. we continue to work on it. I think you will get better results if you move on. We are doing it now. ”
More than a team-wide approach to preparing for each game and series, the sixth-year skipper said the preparation the Nationals do for their pitchers is tailored to each pitcher’s strengths.
“I think it’s more per pitcher,” he said. “How do you feel about hitting hitters based on pitchers and how well did they do. We do our due diligence before and during each series. [Pitching Coach Jim] Hickey is going to meet with catchers and starting pitchers, but it’s not just them, it’s our bullpen — we go in and give them a game plan before they face another hitter.
“They’re all throwing strikes and I think that’s the key.”
Given that hitting strike 1 in particular, and the strike zone in general, is at the heart of the entire approach favored by clubs, why is it so hard to convince pitchers that it will benefit them? Why do pitchers avoid white so much that they often have to emphasize white in the plate/strike zone as they grow up?
“I think we do — see, hitting is hard. We all know that,” admitted the 16-year Major League Baseball veteran.
“I think this is a tough one, and pitchers young and old sometimes run away from the strike zone. And usually when you fall behind, I always explain to our mates. [0-1], it goes to 97, so the further you go, suddenly it’s 1-2, 0-2, and there’s a lot going on in the hitters’ minds. They had to worry about this pitch, that pitch. But until then, little is known if they are ahead. And if good hitters get the ball in the zone, they usually don’t miss here. This is what we’ve been preaching all spring. ”
And what is the message for pitchers to overcome their fear of hitting the zone and the potential damage if they do?
“For me, counting 0-0 and 1-1 at bat is very important,” he said. , suddenly he got a batted ball but he fouled it, hey you’re 0-1, that’s great, now suddenly you’re 1-1, the difference between 2-1 and 1- 2 Counts can be seen in numbers, so I try to preach that 1 vs 1 is just as important as 0 vs 0 counts. ”